Saturday, April 12, 2014

BETTY AND VERONICA DOUBLE DIGEST #221

Betty and Veronica Double Digest #221 [April 2014; $3.99] has 164 pages of stories and features from Archie Comics.

My pick for the best of the bunch is "Flying High" by the late, great and oh-so-missed George Gladir with art by Bob Bolling (pencils), Jim Amash (inks) and Barry Grossman colors). The lettering is by Teresa Davidson. In this 15-page period adventure, the gals and Archie play other characters. Betty is a barnstorming pilot and stunt double for movie actress Veronica. Archie is Betty's mechanic. It's a fun story with a surprise guest star on the last page. This might also be the first publication of the story. I couldn't find any reprint information at the Grand Comics Database.

There are lots of other terrific writers and artists in this issue. To name a few: Frank Doyle, Dan DeCarlo, Rudy Lapick, Bill Golliner, Fernando Ruiz, Barbara Slate, Stan Goldberg, Dan Parent.

As always, I recommend these Archie double digests as a wonderful change of pace from the usual maybe-complete-in-twelve-issues comics you usually read. There are over thirty complete stories waiting for you here.

Keep watching the bloggy thing for more mini-reviews of Archie digests.

2 comments:

I used to see these Archie digests all over the place near the checkouts of retail places. Then you started reviewing them and I thought, yeah, Isabella's got a point -- Archie comics have always been refreshing -- I'll pick one of these up every once in a while.

Now they've disappeared. I haven't seen one at Walmart or a grocery store in ages.

CNN posts today Archie to be killed off in his "Life With Archie" #36 on July 16th.Of course Archie will live in other comicsI guess they are trying to make sales like Batman, Spiderman, Supermandemise of course it's only in "Life With Archie" series.Archie will still live on in other series.I just find it as innocence lost. As a kid growing up in the cityseeing and going through a lot I had friends in jail, shot and ODI always found comfort in Archie just fantasying a life in Riverdale. Even my escape now is poisoned. - Jez